Clamp



May 28, 1963 A. B. woLBERs 3,091,421

CLAMP Filed- Jan. ll, 1962 States Uitl rI'his invention relates broadly to clamps, and more particularly, to clamps for use with hospital beds.

To intravenously feed a patient in a hospital bed, it is necesary to support the feeding bottle from an elevated position above the patient. Generally such bottles are hung from the top lof a pole known generally as an I.V. or intravenous pole. Many hospital beds provide receptacles for such poles secured to the bedframe at one or more locations on the bedframe. The aforementioned receptacles are immovable and very often the doctor or nurse will discover that the clamp is not located in a position on the bedframe that is convenient ffor intravenous feeding. Often the tube from the feeding bottle must be twisted an-d turned in several directions to place the needle to 'be inserted in a vein of the patient into the proper position. This may not only cause discomfort to the patient because of the strain of the tube on the needle but also may even create a stoppage in the feeding tube from crimping thereof. Many hospitals alleviate this problem by using intravenous poles mounted on floor dollies whereby the feeding bottle may be positioned at any convenient location about Ithe bed. However, this -too has serious disadvantages in that floor dollies are comparatively expensive and take up a great deal `of storage space and thus not too many of them can be practically available for use and further they take up considerable space at the bedside and are understandably in the way when moving about or working with the patient. Furthermore, while in use, they may 'be bumped into and moved or even knocked over with obvious dire consequences.

I have invented a clamping device for use with any stand-ard hospital bed which may be positioned at practically any location on the frame of the bed which when used with an intravenous pole will securely lock the pole and the clamp in position on the frame and which is 4immovable when locked and yet when unlocked may be moved along the bedframe in adjustment to Whatever position is desired. Likewise pole elevation is adjustable Ias desired -t-hnough the saine locking means.

I provide a clamp for yuse with hospital beds and the like in combination with a pole member such as an intravenous pole and the like comprising a face member adapted to engage an inner portion of a bedframe, said face member having arm means adapted to extend below and across lthe lower portion of a bedframe, aback member bein-g pivotally supported on said arm means Whereby a portion of said bedfrarne is disposed between said face and back members, said -face member having flange means adapted to engage a top por-tion of said bedframe, said face member having a plurality of flanges disposed in spaced relation yone above the other with corresponding openings therein, said pole `member extending through said openings, said back member having a lower portion extending below said pivotal support and a locking member mounted on said face member swingable to simultaneously engage said lower portion of the back member and said pole member whereby said back member is pivo-ted into engagement with said inner portion of a bedframe and said pole member is bound in said openings.

Preferably, to facilita-te the mounting of my clamp on a bedframe, said face member is comprised of upper Aand lower elements hingedly joined and swingable with respect to each other and having spring means to resiliently urge said elements into coplanar relationship.

So that my clamp is Iadaptable to variations in thick- ICC ness of bedframes and is thus more universal, I further preferably provide la locking means that is yieldable both in vertical and horizontal directions.

It will be .obvious to those skilled in the art that my clamp can be used with many other pole devices such as bed guards, dinner or writing trays and so forth and I do not intend to limit my invention to intravenous poles but have simply described my device in combination with intravenous poles as .a matter of convenience in illustration.

Other details, -objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description of certain present preferred embodiments thereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown certain present preferred embodiments of the invention in which FIGURE l is an orthogonal perspective view of one embodiment of my clamp in combination with a pole member and mounted on a bedframe;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse cross-sectional View of the embodiment shown in FIGURE '1;

FIGURE 3 is .an orthogonal perspective View of another preferred embodiment of my clamp in combination with a pole member and mounted on a bedframe;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE l5 is an orthogonal perspective view of the lower face element of the embodiment shown in FIG- URE 3.

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGURE 1, I have illustra-ted my clamp, designated generally as clamp 19, disposed on a bedframe 11 with :an intravenous pole 12 secured therein. Clamp 10 comprises a face member 13 and a back member 14. Face member 13 has a pair of projecting arms 15 which are curled at their ends to form hinge eyes 16. As shown in FIGURES l and 2, back member l1d is pivotally supported von flange arms 15 by hinge pin 17, the ends of which are disposed in hinge eyes 16. Face member 13 has flange portions 18 adapted to engage the top portion 19 of bed-frame 11. As is readily apparent in FIGURES 1 and 2 back member 14 is pivotable with respect to face member 13 to open outwardly at the top thereof whereby clamp 10` can be easily mounted on bedfrarne 11 with face member 13 disposed on the outside of bedframe 11 and back member '14 disposed on the inside of bedf-rame 111, Iand with arms 15 extending beneath bed-frame 11 and flanges `18 engaging top portion 19 of bedframe 11.

Face member 13 additionally carries projecting portions 20 and 21 having axially corresponding openings 22. and 23 therein respectively. Opening 23 is elongated, similar to the opening Z3 shown in FIGURE 5, for reasons that will become clear as the description continues. A sleeve `.25, as best shown in FIGURE 2, is slidably disposed in opening 2.3 yand is retained therein by its annular flange 26 and a threaded nut 27. A locking member Z4 is disposed on sleeve 25 through the opening 28 of locking member 24 and is retained thereon by the nut `27. spacer `29 spaces locking member 2d from lower projecting port-ion 21. Locking member 2'4 has cam surfaces 30 and a handle portion 31.

Having placed clamp 10` on bedframe 11 as earlier described with pole 12 inserted through opening 22 and sleeve 25, `handle 31 may be swung to either side, as shown in FIGURE 1, to lo-ck clamp 10 and pole 12 to bedframe 11. It will be understood that as handle 31 is thrown to one side or the other, the corresponding cam l30 will bear against the lower portion :14a of back member 414 which extends below hinge pin 17 and thus causes back member 14 to pivot its upper ponti-on 1417 into engagement with the inside of bedframe 1-1. Simultaneously, sleeve 25 is forced outwardly from back member 14 in elongated `open-ing 23 by cam 30 bearing on back member 14. This causes pole 12 to bind in opening 22 and in sleeve 25 and thus become locked in clamp which in turn is locked to bedframe 11. It can be readily understood that the position of the clamp and .the height of the p-ole can be easily `and quickly adjusted merely by swinging locking member 24 outwardly to loosen both pole and clamp and repositioning same by sliding the clamp along the bedframe and/ or the pole up or down in the clamp openings and lthen relooking both simply by swinging handle 31 inwardly again.

In another preferred embodiment of my invention, illustrated in FGU'RES 3 to 5, -I provide a face member :13' having an upper portion 4t) and a lower portion 41 that are hingedly joined as at reference 42 by hinge pin 43. Corresponding portions of the embodiment about to The described carry the same reference numbers as applied the first described embodiment with a prime sign added thereto. IMounted on hinge pin 43 is a single loop torsion spring 4.4 having one end bearing against upper 'portion 40 and the other against lower portion 4d which biases upper and lower portions 49 and 4i to a coplanar attitude. It can be readily understood that the above: described spring-hinge structure greatly facilitates the mounting of my clamp on bedframe 11' by simply squeezing projecting portions and 21 toward each other to provide `a larger opening between face member `13 and back member i4 into which bedframe 1i may readily be disposed.

As -in the first described embodiment, projecting portions 20' .and 2l have axially corresponding openings 22 and 23', the latter of which is elongated and has slidably disposed therein :the sleeve 25". Locking member 24' is disposed on sleeve 25 through the opening 28 thereof andis retained thereon by the nut 27', as best shown in FIGURE 4. lPreferably, I further provide a rubber collar 4 5 and washer 46 disposed on sleeve 25 between annular flange 26 and projecting portion 21.

Upper member 40 has yflanges 18 which engage top )por-tion 19: of bedframe 11' and lower member 41 has project-ing arms Il5 which support back member 14' by virtue -ofhinge pin l17 in hinge eyes 16'. Back member 14' has a lower portion 14a disposed below hinge pin 17 and an upper portion 1411 disposed above hinge pin 17. Preferably, portion 14a is bent slightly 4back from face member 413 for reasons that will become clear as the description continues.

When clamp 10' is mounted on bedframe 11 with pole 12 inserted through opening 22. and sleeve 25', locking member. 24 may be swung in either direction to engage either of cam surfaces 30 with portion 14a' of back member l14.

As earlier described, when cam surface 39 engages lower portion 14a', upper portion ileb of back member 14' is pivoted at pin 17 to engage the back of bedframe 11. Simultaneously, sleeve 25 in opening 23 is moved outwardly or away from back member 14', which action shifts pole 12 and binds pole 12 in opening 22' and sleeve 25. Due to the yieldability of rubber collar 45, locking member 24 can -shift downwardly and correspondingly cam surface 30 shift downwardly along the slightly receding portion 14a of back member 14. This yieldability of locking member 24 in a vertical `as well as horizontal direction permits the operator to swing handle 3i all the Way in toward bedframe l1 and out of the way regardless A:of variations of thickness in bedframe 1.1 and thus makes my clamp more universal in this respect. Here too, the clamp and pole may easily be adjusted simply by unlock- .ing and moving the pole up or down in the clamp and the Aclamp along the bedframe as desired without removing `them from the bedframe and then locking them again with one easy motion when positioned as desired,

While I have shown and described certain present preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is lnot limited thereto but 4 may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. A clamp for use with hospital beds land the like in Combination with a. pole member comprising a yface member adapted to engage an outer portion of a bedframe, a back member adapted to engage an inner portion of` a bedframe, said face member having .arm means adapted to extend lbelow and across the lower por-tion of a bedframe, said back member being pivotally supported on said arm means whereby a portion of said bedframe is disposed lbetween said face and back members, said face member having iiange means adapted to `engage a top portion of said bedframe, said face member having projecting portions disposed in spaced relation one above the other Iwith axially corresponding openings therein, said pole member extending through said openings, said back member having a lower portion extending below said pivotal support and a locking member mounted on said face member swingable to simultaneously engage said lower portion of the back member `and said pole member whereby said back member is pivoted into engagement with Said inner portion of a bedframe and said pole member is lbound in said openings.

2. A clamp `for use With hospital `beds and the like in combination with a pole member comprising a face member adapted to engage an outer portion of a bedframe, a back member adapted to engage an inner p0rtion of a bedframe, `said face member having arm means adapted to extend below and across the lower portion of a bedframe, said back member being pivotally supported on said arm means whereby a portion of said bedframe is disposed between said face and back members, said face member having ange means adapted to engage a top portion of said bedframe, said face member having projecting portions disposed in spaced relation one above the other with axially corresponding openings therein, said pole member extending through said openings, said back member having a lower portion extending below said pivotal support and a locking member yieldably mounted on the lower of said projecting portions and Iswingable therewith and having an opening therethrough corresponding with said ange openings through which said pole member also extends, said locking member being swingable to simultaneously engage said lower portion of the back member and said pole member whereby said back member is pivoted into engagement with said inner portion of a bedframe and said pole member is bound in said openings.

3. A clamp for use with hospital beds and the like in combination with a pole member comprising a face member adapted to engage an outer portion of a bedframe, a back member adapted to engage an inner portion of a bedframe, said face member comprising upper and lower elements hingedly joined and swingable with respect toV each other, said lower element having arm means adapted to extend around the lower portion of a bedframe, said back member ybeing pivotally supported on said arm means whereby a portion of said bedframe is disposed between said face and back members, said upper element having flange means adapted to engage a top portion of said bedframe, `said upper and lower elements having projecting portions disposed in spaced relation one above the other with axially corresponding openings therein, said pole member extending through said openings, said back member having a lower portion extending below said pivotal support and a locking member mounted on said face member swingable to simultaneously engage said lower portion of the back member and said pole member whereby said back member is pivoted into engagement with said inner portion of a bedframe and said pole member is bound in said openings.

4. A clamp for use with hospital beds and the like in combination with a pole member comprising a face member adapted to engage an outer portion of a bedframe, a

back member adapted to engage an inner portion of a bedframe, said face member comprising upper and lower elements hingedly joined and swingable with respect to each other, spring means resiliently urging the lrespective elements of `said face member into coplanar relationship, said lower element having arm means adapted to extend below and across the lower portion of a bedfrarne, said baclf` member being pivotally supported on said arm means whereby a portion of said bedframe is disposed between said face and back members, said upper element having frange means adapted to engage a top portion of said bedframe, said upper and lower elements having projecting portions disposed in spaced relation one above the other with axially corresponding openings therein, said pole member extending through said openings, said back member having a lower portion extending below said pivotal support and a looking member mounted on said face member swingable to simultaneously engage said -lower portion of the back member and said pole member whereby said back member is pivoted into engagement with said inner portion of a bedframe and said pole member is Ibound in said openings.

5. A clamp for use with hospital beds and the like in combination with a pole member comprising a face member adapted to engage an outer portion of a bedframe, a back member adapted to engage an inner portion of a bedframe, said face member comprising upper and lower elements hingedly joined and swingable with respect to each other, said lower element having arm means adapted to extend below and across the lower portion of a bedframe, said back member being pivotally supported on said `arm means whereby a portion of said bedframe is disposed between said face and back members, said upper element having flange means adapted to engage a top portion of said bedframe, said upper and lower elements having projecting portions disposed in `spaced relation one above the other with axially corresponding openings therein, said pole member extending through said openings, said back member having a lower portion extending below said pivotal support and a locking member yieldably mounted on the lower of said projecting portions and swingable therewith and having an opening therethrough axially corresponding with the openings of said projecting portions through which said pole member also extends, said locking member being swingable to simultaneously engage said lower portion of the back member and said pole member whereby said back member is pivoted into engagement with said inner portion of a bedframe and said pole member is .bound in said openings.

6. A clamp for use with hospital beds and the Ilike in combination with a pole member comprising a face member adapted to engage an outer portion of a bedframe, a back member adapted to engage an inner portion of a bedframe, said face member comprising upper and lower elements hingedly joined and swingable with respect to each other, spring means resiliently urging the respective elements of said face member into coplanar relationship, said lower element having arm means adapted to extend below and across the lower portion of a bedframe, said back member being pivotally supported on said arm means whereby a portion of said bedframe is disposed between said face and back members, said upper element :having liange means adapted to engage a top portion of said bedframe, said upper and lower elements having projecting portions disposed in spaced relation one above the other with axially corresponding openings therein, said pole member extending through said openings, said back member having a lower portion extending below said pivotal support and 4a locking member yieldably mounted on the lower of said projecting portions and swingable therewith and having an opening therethrough axially corresponding with the openings of said projecting portions through which said pole member also extends, said locking member being swingable to simultaneously engage said lower portion of the back member and said pole Imember whereby said back member is pivoted into engagement with said inner portion of a bedframe and said pole member is bound in said openings.

7. A clam-p for use with hospital 4beds and the like in combination with a pole member comprising a face member adapted to engage an outer portion of a bedframe, a `back member adapted to engage an inner portion of a bedframe, said face member comprising upper and lower elements hingedly joined and swingable with respect to each other, spring means resiliently urging the respective elements of said face member into coplanar relationship, said lower element having arm means adapted to extend below and across the lower portion of a bedframe, said back member 'being pivotally supported `on said arm means whereby a portion of said bedframe is disposed between said face and back members, said upper element having ilange means adapted to engage a top portion of said bedframe, said back member having a lower portion extending below said pivotal support, said -upper and lower elements having projecting portions disposed in spaced relation `one above the other with axially corresponding pole receiving openings therein, the opening in the lower of said projecting portions being elongated outwardly from said face and back members and locking means slida'bly disposed in said elongated opening and swingable therein and yieldable vertically with respect to said lower projecting portion and having a pole receiving opening therethrough axially corresponding with the openings of said projecting portions, said pole member extending through said openings, said locking member being swingable to simultaneously engage said lower portion of the back member and said pole member whereby said back member is pivoted into engagement with said inner portion of a bedframe and said pole member is bound in said openings.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 419,379 Talbot Jan. 14, 1890 1,096,999 Burtchett May 19, 1914 1,217,960 Klorer Mar. 6, 19117 2,886,267 Beach May 12, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 878,165 Germany lune 1, `1953 

1. A CLAMP FOR USE WITH HOSPITAL BEDS AND THE LIKE IN COMBINATION WITH A POLE MEMBER COMPRISING A FACE MEMBER ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AN OUTER PORTION OF A BEDFRAME A BACK MEMBER ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AN INNER PORTION OF A BEDFRAME, SAID FACE MEMBER HAVING ARM MEANS ADAPTED TO EXTEND BELOW AND ACROSS THE LOWER PORTION OF A BEDFRAME, SAID BACK MEMBER BEING PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED ON SAID ARM MEANS WHEREBY A PORTION OF SAID BEDFRAME IS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID FACE AND BACK MEMBERS, SAID FACE MEMBER HAVING FLANGE MEANS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE A TOP PORTION OF SAID BEDFRAME, SAID FACE MEMBER HAVING PROJECTING PORTIONS DISPOSED IN SPACED RELATION ONE ABOVE THE OTHER WITH AXIALLY CORRESPONDING OPENINGS THEREIN, SAID POLE MEMBER EXTENDING THROUGH SAID OPENINGS THEREIN, SAID MEMBER HAVING A LOWER PORTION EXTENDING BELOW SAID PIVOTAL SUPPORT AND A LOCKING MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID FACE MEMBER SWINGABLE TO SIMULTANEOUSLY ENGAGE SAID LOWER PORTION OF THE BACK MEMBER AND SAID POLE MEMBER WHEREBY SAID BACK MEMBER IS PIVOTED INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID INNER PORTION OF A BEDFRAME AND SAID POLE MEMBER IS BOUND IN SAID OPENINGS. 